Container construction



Dec. 4, 1951 v.1. E. PAGE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed May 7; 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR Ja/m [rneaf Page BY w/ ATTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1951 J. E, PAGE CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 7, 1946 INVENTOR John fffl'jf Page ATTO R N EYS Patented Dec. 4, .1951

CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION John Ernest Page, West Cornwall, Conn, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to Gibson Patent Containers, Ltd., a corporation of New South Wales, Australia.

Application May 7, 1946, Serial No. 667,891

9 Claims. (Cl. 22.9.-5.7)

The present invention relates to containers of "the type having a flexible fibrous body portion constructed of a material such as paperboard or the like and has particular reference to an improved construction for securing structural members such as rims thereto.

The usual paperboard container which is widely used, for example in the packaging of bulk ice cream, is provided with a metal rim at its top and bottom. These rims perform several functions among which are holding the container body in shape and reinforcing the ends of the container. In addition, the rims may serve to secure abottom .ora cover'to container. .Such rims have generally been secured to the container body by folding a portion of the body along an edge "back and then pasting this folded portion to "the body to form a circumferential rim engaging ledge on the container, as shown for example in my Patent No. 2,053,679. The present invention is directed to providing a container which is equallysatisfacto-ry but which eliminates the necessity for folding and pasting the edges of the container body to form the rim engaging ledge with attendant economies of manufacture and material. For example, by using the present invention, a saving of approximately 10% in material may be realized in the manufacture of a container body for .a two and one-half gallon ice cream container as well as lower manufacturing costs. Such a container is approximatelyei-ght and one-half inches in height and has a one-half inch-fold at each end which is eliminated.

These and other desirable objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings which:

Fig. l is a view of a paper blank suitable for forming .a container body constructed in accordance with the invention; v I

Fig.2 is a plan view of a preformed container body constructed in accordance with the invention, in a knocked-down or flat folded condition;

Fig. 3 is an endv view of the container body illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is .an end view of the container body illustrated in Fig. .2, in expanded or circular condition;

Fig. 5 isa side view in partial section of an asscmbled container embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the container illustrated in Fig. .5 in partial section;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in section showing .2 details of the top rim and container assembly illustrated in Fig. 5., on anenlarged scale; I Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section showing detail of the bottom rim and containerassembly illustratedinFig. 5, on an enlarged scale;

Figs. 9 and 10 show .modified forms of container bodies constructed in accordance with the invention; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentary views in section similar to Figs. 7 and 8, showingmodified top and bottom rims, respectively, in a container assembly embodying the invention. I

Referring to the drawing in detail, Fig. 1 shows a blank of flexible paperboard or like material from which a container body I may be formed. Along the upper and lower edges of the body fl there are a series of spaced cuts 2. The cuts '2 are approximately L -s'haped extending both transversely and laterally with respect to the body 1 with the transverse portion of the cuts extend- 'ing to the edge of the "body. The cuts 2 thus dofine a series of spaced fingers 3 formed integrally with the body along its upper and lower edges.

The blank I may be scored, as indicated at A and B, to facilitate shaping and folding, respectively, of the container as is customary in the art. However, it is preferable in connection with the present invention that such score lines do not extend across the fingers 3.

In preforming the body I,- its ends may be secured together by staples and the body may then be folded flat for shipping and storage purposes. When the container is to be assembled, the preformed body I is expanded into approximately circular form. When this is done the fingers 3 do not follow the curvature of the body, but will extend tangentially to and slightly beyond the cir cumference of such shape as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Metal rims 5 and 6 are applied to the ends of the container body I to hold it in the desired shape and to reinforce the container. The rims 5 and 6 are located at the top and bottom, respectively, of the container and have inturned annular flanges I and 8, respectively, which engage with the edges of the spring fingers 3 at'their respective ends.

In addition to the flange *8, the bottom rim 6 has an inturned flange 9 extending beyond the lower edge of the container body I to support a container bottom ill. The container bottom I0 is inserted inside of thecontainer body I and holds the body in expanded condition. I

The top rim 5 also has a second :inturned flange II which engages with a cover I2 to secure the cover to the container. This rim and the cover may be placed on the container after it has been filled. By constructing the s ring fingers 3 of a proximately the same height as the height of the fold of the prior art, it is possible to utilize the rims currently in use in the manufacture of containers for ice cream and other products.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 9, there is a container body I having a series of T-shaped cuts l3 spaced along its edges with the leg of the T extending to the edge of the container body. These cuts form a series of o posing fingers M which sprin outward when the container body is expanded into circular form.

The modification illustrated in Fig. shows a container body I having a series of U-shaped cuts which define fin ers l6 s aced around its circumference. The fingers l6 are formed integrally with the, body and spring outward when the container body is expanded into circular form. In this case, the cuts defining the fingers do not extend to the ed e of the container body and the fingers may be located at any point along the body of the container. Bothv edges of such fingers may engage with flan es on hands or rims for reinforcing the container or for other purposes.

If it is desired to strengthen or reinforce the bodv of the container beyond the oint where the rim flanges I and 8 engage with the edges of the fin ers 3, the metal rims ma be provided with an u standing collar I! which is secured to t e inner edges of the inturned flanges and con acts the sides of container body adjacent the rim.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container having a body of flexible material such as paperboard that is capable of being expanded into tubular form, the combination of a series of rim enga ing members formed by cuts in the body and being hinged along a vertical side thereof to the body, said members being spaced about the circumference of the body and s ringing outwardly from and extending tangentially to the outer circumference of the body when the body is expanded into tubular form, a form retaining and reinforcing rim telescopically fitted on the expanded tubular body, and an inturned annular flange carried by said rim, said flange enga ing with an edge of the rim engaging members extending outwardly from the body and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim relative to the body in one direction.

2. In a container of the knock-down type, the combination of a container body of flexible material such as paperboard, said body being capable of being folded fiat for shipment and storage and of being expanded into tubular form for use, a series of rim-engaging members spaced circumferentially about the container body, said members being hinged at one end of the body along the vertical sides of the body with the other ends of said members being free to spring outwardly from the body with the members extending tangentially to the outer circumference of the body when the body is expanded into tubular form, a form retaining and reinforcing rim surrounding the body and an inturned flange carried by said rim, said flange engaging with the sides of the tangentially extending, rim-engaging members and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim relative to the body in one direction.

3. A container body for a container of the knock-down type, said body being capable of being expanded into tubular shape when the container is erected for use with a form retaining and reinforcing rim holding the body in expanded condition and being characterized by a series of rim-engaging members formed by cuts in the body and hinged along vertical sides thereof to the body, said members being spaced about the circumference of the body and springing outwardly from and extending tangentially to the outer circumference of the body in rimengaging position when the body is expanded into tubular form.

4. A container body for a container of the knock-down type as defined in claim 3 wherein the cuts defining said rim-engaging members are L-shaped.

5. A container body for a container of the knock-down type as defined in claim 3 wherein the cuts defining said rim-engaging members are U-shaped.

6. A container body for a container of the knock-down type as defined in claim 3 wherein the cuts defining said rim-engaging members are T-shaped.

'7. In a container having a body of flexible material such as paperboard that is capable of being expanded into tubular form, the combination of a series of rim-engaging members formed by cuts in the body located at one end of the body, said members being hinged along vertical sides thereof to the body and being spaced about the circumference of the body, each of said members springing outwardly from and extendin tangentially to the outer circumference of the bod when the body is expanded into tubular form, a form retaining and reinforcing rim telescopically fitted on the expanded tubular body, and an inturned annular flange carried by said rim, said flange engaging with tangentially extending edges of the rim-engaging members and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim from the end of the body.

8. In a container having a body of flexible material such as paperboard that is capable of being expanded into tubular form, the combina tion of a series of rim-engaging members formed by cuts in the body located at one end of the body, said members being hinged along vertical sides thereof to the body and. spaced about the circumference of the body. each of said members springing outwardly from and extending tangentially to the outer circumference of the body when the body is expanded into tubular form, a form retaining and reinforcing rim telescopically fitted on the expanded tubular body, and a pair of inturned annular flanges carried by the rim, one of said flanges engaging with tangentially extending edges of the rim-engaging members and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim relative to the body in one direction and the other of said flanges engaging with the end of the body and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim relative to the body in the other direction.

9. In a container having a body of flexible material such as paperboard that is capable of 5 being expanded into tubular form, the combination of a series of rim-engaging members formed by cuts in the body located at the opposite ends of the body, said members being hinged along vertical sides thereof to the body, and being spaced about the circumference of the body, each of said members springing outwardly from and extending tangentially to the outer circumference of the body when the body is expanded into tubular form, form retaining and reinforcing rims telescopically fitting over the expanded tubular body at the ends thereof and an inturned annular flange carried by each of said rims, said flanges engaging with tangentially extending edges of the respective series of rim- 15 2,109,716

engaging members and preventing lengthwise movement of the rim relative to the body in one direction.

JOHN ERNEST PAGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES EATENTS Number Name Date 1,548,682 Gulin Aug. 4, 1925 2,053,679 Page Sept. 8, 1936 Annen Mar. 1, 1938 

